Happy Halloween

Yesterday was not a good day. A late start to the day and a hangover and I already knew straight away that I would be struggling. No one to blame apart from myself, it was self inflicted after all. Phil made a good job of the tiling in the cloakroom. He jacked up the kitchen sink unit and replaced a broken tile right by the foot of the unit. It was a tricky operation and I was worried he would mess it up and make it even worse but actually he got the new tile in as easy as pie. I’ve been wanted this done for ages so I was pleased Phil did this at last. One broken tile ruins the whole effect of the floor and now it is as good as new.

Harriet had the day off from work and came round on her way back from the hairdressers for steak and home made chips. Phil cooked these on the BBQ and also did the chips in the fryer outside. Luckily the sun was shining and it was unseasonably warm outside.

Even though the CF is let I am still being pestered with phone calls from mad Betty. THANK GOD she hasn’t managed to get hold of our landline number. I woke up on Thursday morning to 4 missed calls and 3 voice messages. Even Phil had a missed call from her on his mobile and a voice message. Apparently the new tenant had dropped his key and knocked on Betty’s door to ask for help. It was late and dark so Betty & Adrian got dressed and went outside with torches to help John the new tenant look for his key. The frantic phone calls to us were of no use because I was already tucked up in bed and Phil had fallen asleep and was vertically reclined on the sofa. Luckily they found the key under the car and the problem was resolved. I called Betty back and she told me that the new tenant had given her a key and they had swapped numbers. It seems the new tenant is her new best friend, which is great. Perhaps now she will leave me peace?

I thought that would be the last conversation that I would have with Betty for a long time but Phil got a phone call from the agent yesterday lunchtime to say that the shower in the CF kept tripping out every time the tenant had a shower. Phil thought he could fix this himself so yesterday afternoon we jumped in the car and went to investigate. The new shower that Snake installed was more powerful than the old one so Phil thought he could stop the shower tripping by changing the circuit board. But luckily when he opened up the fuse box, the shower wire was really loose so all Phil had to do was tighten it up and the problem was solved. Of course, no sooner had we pulled up outside the CF, you know was out there like a shot and we had to hear the tale about the lost key all over again.

After we’d solved the shower problem we drove back to MK and went to the health club for a Jacuzzi. While Phil was waiting in the café for me to get ready he got chatting to Ludvic who has been a member for years. He told Phil that a lot of members were leaving to join a new gym at the MK Dons stadium. The joining fee is only £35 a month which is way cheaper that David Lloyd so I think this needs investigating. www.dwsportsfitness.com.

This weekend was meant to be a free one especially as it is a Grand Prix weekend. Not just any old grand prix weekend but the last Grand Prix of the year. But whilst we may get a free day tomorrow, today we must catch up with jobs that didn’t get done in the week. I was awake very early this morning and Phil has just come down the stairs so at least we are ahead of the game. It is a struggle to get Phil away from this laptop at the moment. Not only is he keen to get on with his OU, he has also, over the last couple of days rediscovered EBay. He went through a big faze of EBay a few years back and went a bit crazy ordering all kinds of crap and now it seems he’s hooked once again. Last night he told me has brought me a new data holder, a sat nav for Australia, New Zealand and the USA, a whole shed of black & white marbles, 2 Lonely Planet Books and he is also currently bidding for some cropped denim shorts for me. God only knows what will turn up in the post next week! I’m okay with all of the above, but I’m not so sure about the shorts. Not having seen the pictures of the items, I am worried what he’s brought. Phil and not fashion don’t really go together!

A week that hasn't gone to plan

And so we come to the end of another week. I’m afraid it hasn’t been a terribly exciting one for me. I felt pretty rough at the beginning of the week and Phil still wasn’t 100% I am really

starting to panic about going away but Phil is more laid back than ever. His OU material for h

is new course arrived on Monday and I keep catching him reading it. We had an agreement that he would action the things on my ‘to do’ list and when he could tick all the jobs off, only then, would he be allowed to get stuck into his course.

The clocks going back last Saturday night has

really messed up my system.

On Tuesday morning I was in the land of the living at 3am. I got up for a wee then went back to bed to TRY and get back to sleep. I tossed and turned, and then the mind started thinking and before long I’d managed to wake up Phil.

In the end I got up and went downstairs to make a cup of tea. Before long Phil was up and abo

ut and downstairs reading his emails in the conservatory. What a pair.

This week was meant to be all been about jobs in the house but we’ve come to Friday

and it hasn’t quite gone to plan. I wasn’t happy with the tiles in the cloakroom which had lifted slightly from the leaking sink not reported by our tenant. Phil levied the tiles out and got a heater directly on the floor to dry it all out. This morning he will lay the new tiles and tomorrow he can grout it.

We had lots of paperwork jobs on Tuesday but in the afternoon the sun was shining and I managed to cut the grass one last time before the winter. I’m quite fond of the autumn season; the reds and the oranges on the falling leaves, glittering in the sunshine is so pretty. We’ve been lucky to get such mild weather for this time of year. But the forecast says it will not last. Phil suggested late into the afternoon on Tuesday that we go to the pub for a team meeting. At first I said no, but I was just about done in so, I grabbed my bag and we walked along the canal to The Giffard. I got out my filo-fax in the pub and we agreed a schedule of works that needs to be done before we fly away and I came away with my mind feeling much lighter. Unfortunately Phil seemed to have forgotten our plans and on Wednesday morning, rather than get stuck into the jobs on the list Phil had his head stuck in his OU study book. MEN!!!!!!!!! So much for team work!

Yesterday we went to the NH house and unplumbed the washing machine and dismantled the dining room table. When we got back home we turned off the water and got out the old washing machine. To turn off the water, Phil had to get out the cooker to get to the pipe; it was filthy behind the oven so I had to give that a good scrub. It was so good behind the washing machine when that came out, so again I had to get down on my hands and knees and scrub. I don’t mind cleaning, and at least now I know everything is clean, even in places that I can’t see behind. Phil met Jon (man with van) at the NH and they loaded on the washing machine, dining room chairs and tables and brought them back to the cul-de-sac.

As Jon and Phil were unloading, Sandy pulled up in her silver car. She came over to see what we were up to and I invited her in for a glass of wine. Several glasses of wine and 5 hours later she left. We got absolutely lashed in the kitchen and talked about all kinds of stuff. I haven’t really caught up with Sandy for about a year so there was much to talk about. Ever since we moved to the cul-de-sac, I have always had a connection with Sandy. She is a gall, a rough diamond with a big heart that doesn’t take life too seriously. God knows how she got up for work this morning. I’ve got the mother devil of all hangovers and didn’t get out of bed until 10 o’clock!! I haven’t done this since I was a teenager. How naughty am I??? Got to get going now though, Harriet is due round for lunch at midday and she will not be impressed.

Back from Blackpool

The mini break to Blackpool was good but it wasn’t without some stress. At 40 bucks a night I wasn’t expecting much of the hotel but actually The County was okay. A bit tired and battered in places and in need of some TLC (bit like me really) but the bed was comfy and we got a good Wi-Fi connection in our room. The best thing about the hotel was the fact that it was smack bang in the middle of Lytham and so right amongst the shops and pubs and a stone’s throw from the sea. It was good to see Steve again and he hasn’t changed a bit. Just as we were walking out of our hotel room on Thursday evening I got a call from mad Betty. She’d been watching the blinds in the CF flat all afternoon and was convinced we had squatters. I told her “thanks for the neighbourhood watch but there was nothing I could do until we returned home”. Phil said “ignore her” but it weighed on my mind all evening. For some reason I wasn’t feeling too great and after a morning on Friday seeing the sights of Blackpool we returned back to the hotel.

We weren’t long back when I received a frantic phone call from Harriet to say that Shane had been mugged not far from the flat. The 3 hoddies that punched him off his bike got away with £140 cash, an old mobile and the keys to the flat. Again, I told Harriet there wasn’t anything we could do until we got back to MK. Nonetheless, this weighed heavily on my mind, and all sorts of things were going through my head. Too much imagination, that’s my trouble.

The drive back on the M6 was horrendous, heavy traffic, rain and gales all the way home. Poor Phil wasn’t feeling very well and he literally collapsed on the sofa as soon as we walked through the door. The house was cold so we whacked up the central heating and I fed Phil orange juice and Aspirin. We had intended to go and change the lock at the OB flat but the locksmiths was closed so this job had to wait until after the weekend. Phil was feeling a little better on Sunday but still not 100% so we had an easy day. Not quite a full-on duvet day but still, a stay at home day - lunch, telly and a whole load of domestics for me.

Yesterday we drove over to Whaddon to pick up the Ford KA. It went in last Wednesday for a replacement sump and a service ready for the winter. Unfortunately it wasn’t ready before we left for Blackpool so we had to leave it in the garage over the weekend. It’s running much better now so I’m glad I had it done. After we picked it up, we went straight to the OB flat to change the lock. Phil got the barrel and went to the locksmiths while I waited with Coke the dog, who was as always, pleased to see me. The rest of the day was paperwork, phone calls, computer stuff and tiddly jobs around the house. I went next door for a cup of tea with Emma and finished the day off with a swim and a steam to clear my head.

I still haven’t quite recovered from my blog issues on Friday which forced me to make the blog private. As you know, blogging for all the world to see, public profiles and all the privacy issues that go with it, have been on my mind lately. I was tempted to delete the naked bloggers altogether but I just couldn’t bring myself to hit the delete key. No, instead I’ll carry on until the 9th November finishing with some kind of summing up last posting. Whilst travelling, Phil tends to do the lion’s share of posting so it makes sense that he is chief author. Phil will then go live with his travel blog on the 10th November which will follow our adventures in Hong Kong, Bali, Australia & the USA. Not sure yet whether he will go public or blog by invitation, that’s down to him. No doubt I shall chip in here and there, going cold turkey and disappearing into thin air, would be, I fear, all too much.

Blackpool illuminations by day

It was only about 8 or 9 miles to Blackpool from our hotel and the rain that was promised held off. We had a walk through the town area with the shops to start with where Claire bought a few cheap clothes from Primemark. Next stop Blackpool pier but there wasn’t much open but still quite a nice walk around; we don’t have much chance to visit piers. Blackpool is so tacky with amusements, ice cream and chip shops everywhere and all the gypsies are competing to tell your fortune for a fiver. It’s a total contrast to Lytham just down the road.

We didn’t find a Claire’s shop but we did find her sister’s “Louise Tussaud’s Waxworks” and a Trotters independent traders 3 wheeler.

We found that we had enough within an hour and headed back along the coast to have lunch at Lytham. The little Thai across the road from our hotel called “Thai by night” fitted the bill where we had Thai green chicken curry all around. It is a very popular place and there was only one table available when we got there. There were people coming in and out the whole time; the restaurant could have fed twice as many people if it was bigger.

Steve was back from work early on Friday so we were able to get in the bar for about 5pm and have a little tour around town. Once we had visited most bars we headed back for our hotel for something to eat. Steve said that they wouldn’t be open for food as they shut at 9pm but when we checked our watches it was only 8.15pm and Steve couldn’t believe it as it felt like midnight with such an early start. Welcome to our world.

We met Steve again for breakfast and then it was time to pack up and face the long drive home.

Harriet rang Friday evening to say that Shane had been mugged on his way home from the cash machine where they stole his wallet, phone and keys leaving him in a heap in the alley where he was cycling home. We will drop around and see them on the way back to see if the muggers know where he lives as we will probably need to change the lock. This is the first person I have known personally that has been mugged ever; it always seems to happen to someone else in the paper.

Admin stuff

I have decided to change viewing persmissions to invited readers only. To do this I have had to select my contacts and send out an invitation to view the blog. You will need to open the email and follow the link. The only downside to this, is that you have to actually sign into Google to view. Sorry!

If you don't receive an invitation and want to follow the blog please email me directly (clairabella65@hotmail.co.uk)

Lytham living between the pools

Hi, here we are writing from sunny Lytham St Anne’s which is in-between Blackpool and Liverpool, hence the title. My old friend Steve is working here and has not had time to come and stay with us since he finished his contract in Japan. Unfortunately we never did get chance to stay with him while he was in Japan, the timing just didn’t work out. Either we were renovating, working or didn’t have the money because we couldn’t sell any houses for two years and had only recently bought the one at Giffard Park. Steve was hoping for a few months break between contracts but was seduced by the money again and came almost immediately here upon his return. We have just been talking about how long it was since we last met and think it’s over a year. Take the money while you can Steve.

We spent quite a long time trying to get a nice hotel with a pool nearby at a sensible price without success and ended up in the same hotel as Steve which is very convenient and also not so bad. The County Arms is right in the heart of Lytham which is a very upmarket British seaside resort; a mile away from our last venture to Margate. It’s all coffee bars, bistros, banks and little restaurants rather than Witherspoons and charity shops. We are very pleasantly surprised. There is a large green area between the coast and the first houses which leaves you with a wonderful sense of space.

We had a long walk along the beach to St Anne’s and came back inland a little by the roads while Steve was working. There doesn’t seem to be any bad areas so far, all huge houses well spread apart. I always thought that Lytham St Anne’s was one place but it’s not, its two, Lytham and St Anne’s. We managed to get on the wifi in our room and get stuck into a couple of bottles of wine while settling in. Earlier I had to sample a local lamb and mint pie from Phil’s Bakery as he sounds like a nice chap. We even have Harriet’s cloths shop and Harriet always wanted to start a shop called, “Harriet’s Hairy Hats” when she was little. We are still looking for Claire’s shop but I suppose that it’s not quite such an upmarket name as Phil and Harriet; maybe we will find one tomorrow in Blackpool?

Steve turned up from work and it was straight to the bar where we had a couple and ordered food while Steve caught a quick shower. Once Claire had finished about half her huge pie she was off to bed to watch Coro’ while Steve and I tried the well talked about pub called “Taps” where Tom and Steve were already having a drink and we joined them. We spent the rest of the evening talking about the good old days. This pub won best pub in Lancashire last year and is being entered for best pub in Britain this year. They have an unusual range of local brews. I was just getting this photo of the pumps when the flash went off and made the barman jump. I said that I was just getting a picture of the village idiot which the barmaids thought was hilarious. We know what his nickname will be from now on.

Early morning thoughts

It's another one of those early mornings where I can’t sleep so I thought I may as well log on and make the most of my insomnia. My mind is on overdrive at the moment and lying in bed in the dark, all sorts of things are twirling around in my mind. Also I had that funny heart beating fast thing which always feels worse lying down, must go to the doctors to get it checked out. Don’t’ want to peg out before I get to Aussie!

Phil had a disturbed night’s sleep the night before and as such, was a really grumpy monkey yesterday; he was really hard work. He read my blog and complained that I am being very negative about him and also moaned that every photo I publish is of him eating food. I apologise but that is the way it is. After promising at the beginning of the week to dedicate himself to me and my ‘to do’ list, it is now Wednesday and he is not delivering. This is the email that I’ve just sent him, just to get him in focus.

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Hello husband

I write this email as I can hear you snoring softly upstairs. I got up so you could go back to sleep, obviously my strategy worked!

Anyway, thought I'd email stuff for you to do today, a) whilst I remember and b) so you can structure yours/our day.

• Pls can you email me the big trip itinerary so I can send to Jane with covering email
• This is the hotel I fancy at Lytham http://www.modehotel.co.uk/default.php
• When we drop off my car can you mention that the water for the front screen doesn't work and also I had a couple of new front tyres and ever since there has been a noise on the right front side. Thanks.
• On the way back from the garage can we pick up PO Box post
• Can you check out Emma's address and telephone the OU to advise address
• Can you drop me off at David Lloyd after the PO Box or come with for a workout?
• We also need to go to CF and glue the blind and top up the electric, sort out newspapers, post etc.
• Obviously you need to book a hotel so we can see Steve before we fly away.
• You may also want to phone Georgina because I've checked and it is half term next week and if your mum is correct, she will be going to holiday cottage on Saturday. You need to arrange with her to go down to Melton the following Sunday when she gets back. BTW, this will be Sunday the 1st November.
• Can you please not eat the sweets in the tub on top of the fridge in the kitchen; these are for the kids that will be trick or treating on Halloween night.
• Pls can you put up the new blind in the bathroom?
• Whilst I am doing the woodwork upstairs, would you mind making the chilli for tonight? Thought we could finish off the liver & bacon casserole for lunch.

Thanks all I can think of for now. One more cup of tea and I may go back to bed. Or maybe I shall stay up and watch the TV.

See you in a few hours.

L

C x

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After my trip to IKEA on Monday I am not sure my new lime green rugs for the lounge really work. I was trying to link the lovely cut glass green decanter that Janet brought us as a wedding present but the lime is just a little too lime. Really, I was after a nutty caramel colour and in the shop I thought the rug had a little nutmeg in the pile but on getting them home they are just plain lime. Never mind, too late now to take them back and at least they will brighten up the lounge for the winter.

I didn’t make it to the gym yesterday. I decided to make a liver, bacon and onion casserole and by the time I was done it was nearly 10am. I decided to touch up the paintwork in the downstairs gloss and go the gym in the afternoon. Bad mistake!! Once I got started, I decided that all the downstairs paintwork needed redoing. By the end of play yesterday I’d finished all of the downstairs but the only trouble is, now that I’ve got to go upstairs and finish the whole house. I’m not sure whether I’m doing my house for me or for our Australian guests, either way, I won’t be happy until it’s all done.

Early mornings and I can’t but help switch on the TV. Even with digital Free View channels, the choice is dismal. Night screens or teleshopping and right now I’m half watching a programme called ‘Guilty’. It’s about a husband that has brought his wife on a reality show to complain about her lousy housekeeping. They are having a kind of fake jury with friends and family acting as witness for each side. What a load of old boll**ks but still, I feel compelled to watch. Surely they must be paid actors, no normal person would ever agree to appear in this show, surely??

Phil had a phone call from James the owner of Morgans late yesterday to say that the student from Cranfield had pulled out of the tenancy but that he done a viewing yesterday afternoon and a quantity surveyor that lived in London who was working in Beds and was fed up of the commute wants to move in next week. James also complimented Phil on the standard of our properties and said he was surprised by the high standard of finish at the CF. This was good to hear, its reassuring that all our hard work has paid off. When we first started in buy to let over 10 years ago, we were broke and had to bodge and make good. Now there is money in the pot, it is nice to be able to rip out and replace and basically do things properly.

Oh what rubbish I talk; 3 cups of tea, a spoon of Honeygar and a small glass of orange juice with a slurp of omega 3 oil and actually I’m beginning to feel a little tired. Maybe I should try going back to bed or perhaps I should make the chilli con carne??? I can’t decide.

Shopping, Domestics & Things to Do

After some domestics early on Friday morning, I made Phil get dressed and come with me to Costco. As trade members we’re allowed to go in the store before midday when the general public are allowed in, so it’s good to go early when it’s quiet. Once inside the store we made our way to the free coffee and cake counter which Phil loves. I didn’t want very much but somehow we came out with 3 cases of wine, a huge tirramasu and other silly bits and pieces. Oh and £145 lighter. We had rather an indulgent weekend which wasn’t what was planned. It was nice to have Julia & Jack to stay on Friday night. It wasn’t so great waking up with a hangover on Saturday morning after a late night so I decided on waking, that it was going to be an easy day.

Harriet had got stopped by the police the day beforehand for driving whilst using her mobile and was feeling very sorry for herself, so we decided to take her to the cinema. I choose the film, Couples Retreat. It was okay, corny, predictable in most parts but it made you feel good when you came out; Phil enjoyed it more than me and Harriet!! After the cinema we went to the food exhibition in Middleton Hall so Phil got pick up 2 bottles of the Nitro sauces that Julies had given him to try. Of course Phil being Phil, swallowed 2 big spoonfulls from the stand and then had to quickly buy an ice-cream because he mouth was on fire!

On Sunday morning we got showered and changed and drove to Melton Mowbray to see Phil’s mum and dad. They just returned the day before from a week in a chalet. It was a chalet that Phil had found on the internet and by the sounds of it, it didn’t sound a good choice. Phil’s mum said it was cramped and full of junk and apparently they didn’t have any electric for the first 2 days. They were lucky with the weather though, it didn’t rain all week but still, they decided to come home a day early. After a quick hello to Phil’s mum and dad, we jumped in the car, went to pick up Gladys and then made our way to the Bowls Club for lunch. They do a nice Sunday lunch at the Bowls Club, we all went for the roast beef and it was tasty and very tender. Aterwards, it was back Phil’s mum for a cup of tea and a slice of Tiramisu that Phil had brought from Costco. I was glad that Phil finally plucked up the courage to tell his mum and dad that we’d booked the flight and would be away for nearly 4 months. They took the news well but I did feel a little guilty for leaving them all alone for the winter. They would never say it out loud but I know they think we are being extravagant with such a long trip and they also worry that something may happen to one of them whilst we’re gone. The crazy thing is that after John’s sudden passing last year, both Phil and I are very aware of our mortality and want to do travel whilst we are still able to. Live fast and live each day as if it’s your last.

The drive back to Milton Keynes was tedious and Phil was more than grumpy because he’d missed the first hour of the Grand Prix. He’d recorded it but it hadn’t worked, but never mind he’d only missed the introductions and we were still home in time to see the start of the race. And what a race it was, me and Phil were on the edge of the sofa for the whole race. Mark Webber did well to win but good old Jenson Button, what a boy! It was also nice to see Hamilton on the podium. Both me and Phil shed some tears when Jenson crossed the line and it was good to see Ross Braun show some emotion for a change.

After Phil finished his exam he promised that he’d devote the whole of this week to do jobs on the house. But yesterday he only managed to put up a few pictures and spent the rest of the day, researching the internet for places to stay in Los Angeles. He was excited because he’d read in one of the Sunday newspapers that hotels in Los Vegas had reduced their rates significantly. Phil tells me that he wants to spend a week in Vegas and then go up into the mountains to do some skiing. I am not sure and to be honest until I get the house to the way I want it, only then can I focus on the trip.

Yesterday was a shopping day for me; Lidl’s for toilet rolls, bin bags & washing capsules, then onto Sainsbury’s for food. We had baked potato for lunch with tuna and sweet corn, not very exciting. In the afternoon I decided to leave Phil surfing and went to IKEA. They have some new stuff in for the autumn range and I got a couple of rugs, a new lamp and a couple of winter blankets. When I got home Phil had already changed into his pjyjamas with his jumper on top because he was cold. I told him to put the heating on but he grabbed one of my lime green blankets and put that over him. He looked like a proper old man sprawled out on the reclining sofa! Just as well he relaxed yesterday because I've got a full list of jobs for him to do today. I am going to the gym in a minute but I've emailed Phil the list of jobs that need doing, so there is no need to wait for me, he can get started as soon as he wakes up!

Exam Pressure

What a relief that my exam is out of the way; the revision seemed to wipe a week out of my life altogether and I still can’t stop trying to remember those stupid words. The hardest part of this course for me was learning the new language needed to support it and they wouldn’t let you take the course glossary into the exam so I seemed to spend most of my time trying to remember the words and meanings. Not words used in English but new words like, Allopatric speciation, the most parsimonious solution and symplesiomorphy. Of course, my Word dictionary doesn’t even recognise them. Two days before the exam I tried to do the specimen exam paper and nearly had a heart attack; I was nowhere near ready to take the exam. Luckily, I found out the day before that we were allowed to take an ordinary English dictionary in with me. Great, I shot straight off to Borders to find the one with the most in it. Unfortunately it was the largest dictionary there. Never mind, it was still better to take it in than not. You were not allowed to annotate it so I spent the next few hours going through the course glossary and finding the words in the dictionary and folding the corner over on that page. Not all the words were in there but enough to help enormously. The other thing we needed to remember was the geological periods and dates between them. What I ended up doing was remembering it well enough to write out at the start of the exam; timing was everything. We got in the exam and I immediately drew the geological time map with all the dates between them along with certain words and groups of words I needed to remember that were not in the dictionary. I managed to fill the back page but at least I remembered everything before even looking at the paper. This threw me into time pressure right from the start but I did manage to recover and finish the paper about 2 seconds before they stopped us; it must be the fastest 3 hours I can remember. Anyway, I feel I did quite well, as long as they can read my handwritten scribble. I hardly ever hand write anything these days.

I good drink with Claire finished the day off and I was knackered and fell asleep on the sofa. Claire got me started early the next day, catching up with all the little jobs that I couldn’t do whilst revising. All the wires tidied up around the sofa to start with and getting the glass shelves out from the side of the shower was next. All done just in time for Julia and Jack to turn up (Claire’s sister and nephew) along with Harriet on her way home from work. A few more drinks were had and then an early night ready for the big BBQ breakfast. Before we went to bed, Jack had us try a little of their bottle of chilli sauce that they had bought from Middleton hall where they have a food show at the moment. Wow, that’s the hottest chilli sauce I have ever tasted; it made my mouth go num. It took us a good 15 minutes to recover from the smallest of tastes. We are off there to get one in a minute.

I love cooking breakfast on the BBQ as I can make as much mess as I like and it doesn’t stink the house out. The cast iron griddle plate is ideal for bacon; you can’t beat Cumberland sausages cooked on the BBQ. We bought a huge pack from Costco on Friday. There is an ordinary flame for the frying pan to do the eggs and fried bread so you can cook the lot in one go. All boys love playing with fire and I enjoy cooking so it perfectly suits me. We had just finished when Harriet turned up with Coke the dog that goes mental when there are lots of new people around for him to sniff at. Dogs can smell 10,000 times better than we can and I often wonder if they can smell family relationships between people with their similar pheromones. I quickly reheated a couple of sausages and fried another egg so Harriet could also have breakfast while Claire taught Coke to beg for a bit of bacon. He’s very good at it and looks lovely when he holds his paw out. While all this was going on Jack was happy to watch the tv. Claire tried to wipe the floor down but Coke saw this as an opportunity to lick her face in the hope of a bit more begging practice.

Nothing is ever straight forward

Why are things with me and Phil so complicated and never ever straight forward? I often think this thought. This week has been easier than most of late. I even managed a shopping trip to the centre where I got a lovely new handbag from Zara. When I got it home Phil remarked “not another bloody handbag”, a comment that I choose to ignore. What he doesn’t understand about me and my handbags is that I always buy cheap and so they don’t last especially as they are always crammed with tools and have to be binned because they eventually they get covered in paint. Besides, I think I deserve a new bag every now and then.

Phil has spent most of the week revising with his shoulders bent over a text book. I have banished him and his papers from the kitchen to the conservatory which he isn’t too keen on because until the sun comes out, the conservatory is freezing. He is allowed back to the kitchen only to cook and eat lunch. On Wednesday afternoon I went over to the CF to touch up the planed bathroom door. I was careful with my timing and arrived at the flat when I thought mad Betty would be on the school run. Wrong! I’d only just got my brush out when there was a tap, tap at the door. Turned out that Betty had decided to do the school run in the car which meant she could leave a little later than normal. Just my luck!

Betty lingered in the doorway and complained about a tall man with dark skin, much fatter than Phil (and I quote) that had been lurking around our flat and the car parks. She told me that she’d given him some evil looks until he drove away in his green car. I had to explain to Betty that the man in the green car was in fact, Adam, our agent and that he wasn’t Asian but that he’d just returned from holiday and had been awaiting on a potential tenant to show round our flat. I explained that Adam wasn’t ‘lurking’ but in all probability was probably just checking for his client to arrive, bearing in mind that there are two entrances to the flat! When I’d finished with my explanation I still don’t think she believed me. God, I pity the poor tenant that will be moving in at the end of the month. Yep, the viewing was successful and we have a student from the university that wants to rent.The let was dependent on whether we would agree to get a bidet connection fitted to the new toilet which I guess is a religion thing. We reluctantly agreed because we both need closure. There is always something.

I am feeling pleased with myself because I have been to the health-club 6 days in a row. I go in the morning because I am keen to avoid Jill, the slightly eccentric neighbour below Harriet in the OB flat. Actually, I have arranged for Will the tree surgeon to go and kill her nuisance shrub and the tree stumps so I don’t have any reason to avoid her, it’s just my personal choice. Harriet called me to say that the neighbour the other side had put their rubbish out in the wrong colour sacks and the bin men refused to take the bags away. They lay on the pavement until another neighbour got pissed off and threw the bags back onto the drive of our flats. Harriet was phoning me to ask what to do? I said knock on the door and ask the culprits to re-bag the rubbish and if they refused I told her to put on rubber gloves and do it herself. I’ll probably end up doing it myself, anything for an easy life.

The idea of converting our last blog to a hardback book seemed like a good idea at the beginning of the week but what should have been a simple process has proved to be a nightmare. When Jim did it as a surprise for us for the first blog, he had to cut and past everything from the blog and put it in reverse order. It must have taken him months but we didn’t fully appreciate this at the time. I do now though. Technology has moved on since then and Google have added a button that you simply press to export your blog to a file. That was easy but then things got really complicated. The file type wasn’t compatible with the publishing tool. After many hours I managed to order a book and was able to buy a PDF file. This, however, was very expensive, the paragraph breaks had gone haywire and I wasn’t able to edit the PDF file. Before pressing the order file I thought I’d go back to the blog and edit every single blog posting but although the paragraph breaks looked fine in edit mode, exporting the blog had obviously corrupted something. Never mind, I’ve ordered a book now for Phil’s mum, although it isn’t perfect. If I get a spare hour or ten I must learn how to edit a PDF file and publish the book through a much cheaper source. Another project, for another day or make that another year.

I was being optimistic when I said that the BT Vision was going live on Wednesday like BT said it would, and of course, it didn’t go live. In fact the connection is still dead so maybe today although I won’t hold my breath. Phil did lamb chops on the B-B-Q yesterday and after lunch I went to the hairdressers and Phil went to the church for his EXAM. He was nervous and I was nervous for him, I told him to say a prayer before he started on his paper! Phil was done in after the 3 hour exam and much wine was needed last night. He thinks he did okay but I will let him talk more about this.

Friday at last and now that Phil has finished his course we can, at last, get on with getting the house sorted. There is an endless list but I am hoping that by the end of play next week we will have everything done and to my liking. And then we can start organising for our next project. The project being, “Phil & Claire Down Under”; unlike the last few, I am at least looking forward to this one.

Too much information?

We had a fairly ‘normal’ weekend with plenty of R&R which made a much welcomed change. Phil & I went over to the CF and Phil planed the bathroom door. He made a right old mess which I had to clear up while Phil set up the digital free view channels. Unfortunately I’d brought the wrong colour undercoat so we had to go back to MK. Phil decided to stay home and prepare the casserole whilst I went back to the CF flat to finish off painting the door.

Saturday afternoon and Phil finally made a start on his revision. I spent a while trying to upload our last blog into a website that allows you to convert your blog to a proper hard cover book. We really loved the book that Jimmy did for us downloaded from our first blog about our adventures in India and wanted to have a second book. It’s something that I know Phil’s mum would enjoy reading plus it’s something for us to look back on when we’re old and grey. That’s now I hear you say!!! Maybe I very stupid but I couldn’t get my head around the programme so I gave up in the end and went to the health club for a swim. First time in ages and I enjoyed myself. Saturday evening was telly, wine and early to bed.

On Sunday Phil picked up Georgina and they did the cinema and lunch. I went over to Great Holm and Christine and I went for lunch at The Old Beams. Christine has just come back from a trip to Kenya. She went on safari but didn’t really get on well with the whole group thing and was sad because it brought back memories of happier times spent with John in the Maldives. Poor Christine also picked up a cold, so in many ways she was glad to get back home. We talked holidays over lunch and then back to walk the woofs. The sun had come out by this time and it was nice to be out in the fresh air.

Monday was domestics for me and revision all day for Phil. In fact, I seemed to recall that he didn’t get washed or dressed until tea time. I think he is really beginning to panic now about his exam on Thursday. I am feeling pleased because I have been to the health club 4 days in a row. I’ve managed a couple of light sessions in the gym and a couple of decent swims. I have decided the best way to get rid of my bad back is exercise. This morning Phil went back to the CF to meet the E-on engineer so he could sort out the connection for the wall mounted heaters. Fortunately the nice young man from E-on came early and was very helpful, managing to do things to the fuse connections so the heaters could work with the timers.

After weeks of pub grub I’ve settled down at last to shopping and cooking. I made a big lasagne on Monday which was so huge, it will last us all week. After lunch I went to the OU to meet Jan and we went for a walk around the campus. It was a beautiful day and we had a very pleasant walk, chatting all the way along. BTW, happy birthday for tomorrow Janet! This afternoon I’ve been catching up with paperwork and Phil has been revising and making a few calls in-between. The BT Vision goes live tomorrow so we can finally get a sound engineer round to sort out the TV & home cinema sound system out, once and for all. At the moment all of the equipment and wires are all over the floor. I am dying to tidy it all away but I must be patient and wait for all to go live and be tested.
I read a most interesting article in the Times magazine over the weekend talking about how much people reveal about them selves on the internet. It made me think about the naked bloggers. I don’t twitter but I have registered my profile on Facebook even though I don’t really use it. It’s mainly because I don’t understand how to navigate around the different applications and I really don’t get this farmyard thing. On my homepage, I have a message telling me that I have 2 cute catz invitations, 2 pet pupz invitations and 1 other invite. What’s all this about ??? So not bothered am I, that I can’t be arsed to click on the links to find out.

Anyway, the article made me think about my blogging and I wonder if it’s as sad as twittering or logging on to face book every 37 minutes? Do I violoate my own privacy? Nah I don't think so. Am I so up my own arse that I think anyone is remotely interested in my sad life??? The answer to that is no but perhaps I am just as sad as all the twitterers and the Facebook users out there. I do my blog for me and say it as it mainly is, although sometimes I admit I have to hold back so as not to offend. My only rules when blogging are - never drink and click. The blog is a platform for me to get things off my chest; Phil really enjoys writing about our holiday experiences and likes to drop the oddball posting in now and again. On the feel-good-side, the blog does give me a buzz when someone posts a nice comment or says to me f-2-f “Claire, please don’t stop”. Harriet hates me blogging and is in the club of ‘too much information’; she reluctantly dips in, only to find out what we’re up to but she cringes most of the time. Harriet, I might add, is an avid Facebook member-cum-contributor.

I shall carry on with thenakedbloggers for now but I think I am going to stop posting in a couple of weeks and start up a fresh blog dedicated to the ‘Big Trip’. I’d still like to keep the nakedbloggers though and come back to this next year but I feel a new profile and a new title are needed. Perhaps, ‘Phil & Claire Down Under’ or ‘Around the World in 108 Days’???